From the island of Penang, Wong operates one of the world’s largest legal reptile supply companies, which he has used in the past as a front to smuggle critically endangered wildlife from Australia, China, Madagascar, New Zealand, South America, and elsewhere. His offerings have included snow leopard pelts, panda bear skins, rhino horn, rare birds, and Komodo dragons.

Wong’s conviction this week is a first for him in Malaysia, but it is not the first time he has been caught. In the 1990s Wong was the target of Operation Chameleon, a five-year undercover operation by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service that is widely considered the most successful in U.S. history.

Wong confessed and served more than five years for his smuggling. In 2003 he was released from U.S. prison, returned to Penang, and took over the reins of a company his wife had managed for him while he was in prison. Together, they have also run a zoo.

Wong’s arrest and conviction are the latest in a remarkable set of legal actions taken this year by the Malaysian government, spurred by wildlife NGOs, committed individuals, and the media.

Wong was prosecuted under the country’s new International Trade in Endangered Species Act, which was used for the first time last month to ensnare two Malagasy women. They were caught at Kuala Lumpur International Airport smuggling critically endangered radiated tortoises, plowshare tortoises, and other wildlife into Malaysia in their suitcases.

This summer, parliament further strengthened Malaysia’s legal framework for protecting wildlife by updating the country’s national conservation law for the first time since 1972. These new laws, and the willingness of prosecutors and judges to apply them, are models of change.

Wildlife trafficking may be the world’s most profitable form of transnational organized crime. The reason is not money alone, although the profit margins can be spectacular. The reason is the low risk: When it comes to wildlife trafficking, there is little chance of getting caught. Around the world, law enforcement dedicated to wildlife smuggling is woefully undermanned and underfunded. And even when smugglers are caught, the most common penalty they face is a fine, often no larger than a parking ticket.

Wong was sentenced to six months in prison and fined 190,000 Malaysian ringgit (U.S.$61,000). The Malagasy women each got a year. Wong’s lawyer argued for leniency because it was his first offense in Malaysia, which it was, but only because the wildlife department has never brought a case against him. Instead, his arrest was the work of an airline security officer, who noticed the broken lock and checked for damage.

The government seized Wong’s laptop and his cell phone. If examined correctly, they could break open global wildlife smuggling–including connections to government officials around the world–Wong has long boasted about. The devices should be investigated by a team that includes officials independent of the wildlife department, as well as international law enforcement.

This week’s conviction is an important step forward, with positive implications for wildlife around the world. But it is not the result of work by Malaysia’s wildlife department, whose leadership has in the past defended Anson Wong as an honest businessman. Wong is not Malaysia’s only wildlife trafficker, either. Wong’s conviction is a sign that Malaysian law has sharper teeth. Now law enforcement needs a stronger bite.

Bryan Christy is an investigative journalist and author who has spent years focused on environmental crimes. A Fulbright Scholar, he attended Pennsylvania State University, Cornell University Graduate School, University of Michigan Law School, and the University of Tokyo Law School. Before becoming a journalist, he worked as a lawyer in Washington, D.C., including in the Executive Office of the President. Mr. Christy is the author of The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passions of the World’s Greatest Reptile Smugglers. In researching that book, he was bitten between the eyes by a blood python, chased by a mother alligator, sprayed by a bird-eating tarantula, and ejaculated on by a Bengal tiger. His article, The Kingpin, exposing wildlife trader Anson Wong, appeared in the January 2010 issue of National Geographic.Visit his website for updates about his work.

Post a comment

National Geographic Voices

Researchers, conservationists, and others share stories, insights and ideas about Our Changing Planet, Wildlife & Wild Spaces, and The Human Journey. More than 50,000 comments have been added to 10,000 posts. Explore the list alongside to dive deeper into some of the most popular categories of the National Geographic Society's conversation platform Voices.

Opinions are those of the blogger and/or the blogger's organization, and not necessarily those of the National Geographic Society. Posters of blogs and comments are required to observe National Geographic's community rules and other terms of service.

Voices director: David Braun (dbraun@ngs.org)

Fighting Wildlife Crime: The Unsung Heroes

Journalist and National Geographic Fellow Bryan Christy uses investigative journalism to expose illegal wildlife trafficking around the globe. In this video he introduces a a series of interviews with the people fighting wildlife crime on the front lines.

Blog Search

Search for:

Fulbright-National Geographic

The Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellowship provides a unique platform for U.S. Fulbright awardees to build awareness of transnational challenges, comparing and contrasting cross-border issues. Their stories are shared on National Geographic digital platforms using a variety of digital storytelling tools, including text, photography, video, audio, graphic illustrations and/or social media. Meet the Fellows and follow their adventures across the world on the Fulbright-National Geographic Storytelling blog.

Follow the links on the sidebar of any of the blog's pages for details and tips on how to apply for a Fellowship.